Goodbye to All of You

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Out of the 180,000 or so words I've scribbled (and a few million more I've edited) over 117 issues of this magazine, none come quite so tough as these. I've never been good at good-byes, so I'll just say it straight out: This is my last issue of Utne.

My office, with the sweeping view of Loring Park, is cleaned out. Nina brought platters of nachos, tamales, and quesadillas into the Utne library for a grand going away party, which continued throughout the evening in a series of nearby barrooms. Farewells have been made, often two or three times, with everyone on staff.

Now, all that's left is to thank you -- the amazing readers of Utne -- for your support and your critiques through the years. You've emboldened me to push farther, to probe deeper, and to soar higher than editors at most other magazines would dare.

In many ways, I grew up at Utne. It's where I met my wife, Julie, where I continued my education in subjects ranging from global politics to blues music, where I came of age as a writer, where I first learned about a thousand new ideas that I've tried out in my life. It's been a privilege to work at this great magazine over the past 19 years.

By the time you read this I will be at my new position as executive editor of Ode, an independent magazine from the Netherlands that has launched an international edition published in English. It's a tremendous opportunity to continue along a path that Utne opened up for me.

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